Below, you will find answers to frequently asked questions about Heritage Defense. If you have a question and the answer is not on this page, please send us an email with your question.

General Information

1.  Who is Heritage Defense?
2.  What is the mission of Heritage Defense?
3.  What does Heritage Defense do?
4.  Why is an organization like Heritage Defense needed?
5.  Is Heritage Defense a Christian organization?
6.  How is Heritage Defense funded?
7.  Where does Heritage Defense operate?

Membership

8.  How can my family join Heritage Defense?
9.  What is the annual cost of membership?
10.  Does Heritage Defense offer payment plans?
11.  What are the benefits of becoming a member of Heritage Defense?
12.  Can I call Heritage Defense any time of the day or night?
13.  Can I join Heritage Defense if I am already involved in a legal conflict?
14.  Is membership limited to home educating families?
15.  Is Heritage Defense in my state?

Advocacy

16.  Does Heritage Defense guarantee to represent me?
17.  How does Heritage Defense assist families who become involved in conflicts with social services agencies?
18.  Does Heritage Defense compete with the Home School Legal Defense Association?
19.  Will Heritage Defense assist families involved in conflicts relating to divorce, custody, or public adoptions?
20.  Does Heritage Defense defend child abuse?
21.  Does Heritage Defense have a lobbying agenda?

Position Statements

22.  What is Heritage Defense’s position on a parent’s right to use corporal punishment?

General Information

1.  Who is Heritage Defense?
Heritage Defense is an alliance of Christian families and individuals united together to advance the Kingdom of Christ by protecting and empowering the family. This mission is actively championed by attorneys and staff who are dedicated to fulfilling the mission through the vigorous application of Biblical standards and methodology in the areas of law and public policy. Heritage Defense is a non-profit, 501(c)(4) legal advocacy organization.  Back to Top.

2.  What is the mission of Heritage Defense?
The mission of Heritage Defense is to advance the Kingdom of Christ by protecting and empowering the biblical family.  Back to Top.

3.  What does Heritage Defense do?
Heritage Defense protects and empowers the biblical family by providing legal assistance, distributing helpful information, offering sound scholarship, and promoting strong public policy initiatives on behalf of families.  Back to Top.

4.  Why is an organization like Heritage Defense needed?
For well over a century, in this country and around the world, the biblical family has been under relentless attack. Over time, many of the legal protections and fundamental liberties once recognized as belonging to the family have been eroded. Despite efforts by heroic men and women, the family has suffered great loss from persistent and determined state and federal jurisdictional intrusions. Although many Christian families have not experienced this attack as directly, perhaps, as others, all of us are affected. Every time a Christian family is persecuted, threatened, intimidated, coerced, or destroyed for obeying God’s commands, the Gospel is slandered, Christian zeal is chilled, and Christendom is harmed. The founders of Heritage Defense see a critical need for a legal advocacy organization which unites families, family-focused organizations, and other Christian leaders to provide for the common defense of family freedoms. Heritage Defense seeks to formulate a common strategy for the preservation of family rights, the defense of the family against illegitimate invasions, and the development of a legal framework by which families may enjoy future protection.  Back to Top.

5.  Is Heritage Defense a Christian organization?
Yes—Heritage Defense is thoroughly committed to the Christian world and life view, and its aim is to function as members of the Body of Christ coming together to build one another up as we seek to advance the kingdom of God. Because of this, membership status is only granted to applicants who are professing Christians. Nevertheless, non-Christians are welcome to make donations and support our efforts in other ways. Protecting and empowering the biblical family benefits all families, regardless of religious affiliation.  Back to Top.

6.  How is Heritage Defense funded?
As God provides, the work of Heritage Defense is largely driven financially by the annual contributions of our member families. Families who desire to give beyond this amount, and other individuals, businesses, and nonprofit organizations may also financially support the mission in other ways. Those who do not need to receive a federal tax-deduction for their donation may make a donation of any amount directly to Heritage Defense. Churches, 501(c)(3) organizations, and other businesses, families, and individuals who need a tax deduction may still support the mission of Heritage Defense by making a tax-deductible donation to Heritage Defense Foundation (a 501(c)(3) organization), which is devoted to furthering the mission of advancing the Kingdom of Christ by protecting and empowering the biblical family.  Back to Top.

7.  Where does Heritage Defense operate?
Heritage Defense currently operates in all fifty states of the United States of America.  Back to Top.

Membership

8.  How can my family join Heritage Defense?
To become a member of Heritage Defense, all you need to do is fill out a membership application and make your membership contribution. A Heritage Defense attorney will review your application. If your application is not approved for any reason, your membership contribution will be returned to you along with a brief note of explanation.  Back to Top.

9.  What is the annual cost of membership?
The standard cost of membership with Heritage Defense is a minimum annual contribution of $195 per family.   Back to Top.

10.  Does Heritage Defense offer payment plans?
Yes. New or renewing applicants who select the monthly contributions option commit to make twelve (12) monthly contributions instead of one annual contribution for an annual membership. Monthly contributions are currently $19 per month for new members and $15 per month for renewing members.  Back to Top.

11.  What are the benefits of becoming a member of Heritage Defense?
Funded by our member’s contributions and other donations, Heritage Defense provides legal representation for member families when they experience social services/child protective services related conflicts with local, state, and federal governmental entities as a result of following biblical protocol in the training and discipline of their children. We are also committed to providing our member families with in-depth legal analysis and other information involving the struggle for the rights of the family. Furthermore, we provide the ability for our member families to play a greater role in the political process through our grassroots lobbying efforts. Finally, when you become a member of Heritage Defense, you are not just protecting and empowering your own family, you are standing with your brothers and sisters in Christ and bearing one another’s burdens. When one Christian family is encouraged, strengthened, protected, and ultimately vindicated in their obedience to God’s principles, all of Christendom is emboldened and the Gospel and crown rights of Christ are advanced. Find out more about the specific benefits of membership by visiting our Membership Benefits page.  Back to Top.

12.  Can I call Heritage Defense any time of the day or night?
Our normal office hours are from 9:00 AM to 5:00 PM, Central Time, Monday through Friday. In the case of a genuine legal emergency, attorneys are available to our members 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.  Back to Top.

13.  Can I join Heritage Defense if I am already involved in a legal conflict?
Yes, but Heritage Defense may not be able to provide representation for the pre-existing situation. In order to keep the cost of membership low and to provide our members with the best quality of service, Heritage Defense generally does not grant membership to individuals already involved in legal conflicts. If you are presently involved in a legal conflict and you are not a member, you are invited to submit an application for membership. As with all other applications, the approval of a membership application for those already involved in legal conflicts will be subject to the discretion of a Heritage Defense attorney.  Back to Top.

14.  Is membership limited to home educating families?
Yes. Heritage Defense membership is currently limited to home educating families. We strongly encourage all families to home educate their children.  Back to Top.

15.  Is Heritage Defense in my state?
Heritage Defense is a national legal advocacy organization open to accepting and serving member families in each of the fifty states.  Back to Top.

Advocacy

16.  Does Heritage Defense guarantee to represent me?
Consistent with Internal Revenue Service regulations, we cannot guarantee representation in every case. However, it is our intent to come to the aid of our members (and non-members in special cases) who suffer governmental social service related interference in the jurisdiction of their families as a result of obedience to Scriptural standards of child training and discipline. This is an important part of our effort to fulfill the mission of Heritage Defense to advance the Kingdom of Christ by protecting and empowering the biblical family.  Back to Top.

17.  How does Heritage Defense assist families who become involved in conflicts with social services agencies?
Heritage Defense will attempt to resolve any issues with social services at the initial contact. Consequently, we encourage our members to call us immediately upon any hint of a threat of a social services contact or investigation. If our attorneys are unable to resolve the legal issues outside of court, then Heritage Defense will seek to zealously defend the rights of our member families in the courts.  Back to Top.

18.  Does Heritage Defense compete with the Home School Legal Defense Association?
No. Heritage Defense is extremely grateful for the heroic work of the Home School Legal Defense Association (HSLDA) in securing and safeguarding the rights of families to home educate in America, and even around the world. The desire of Heritage Defense is to complement the work of HSLDA by meeting a need which, although sometimes graciously and generously addressed by HSLDA in special circumstances, is specifically excluded from the mission, purpose, and work of HSLDA. Heritage Defense greatly values the right of parents to direct the education of their children. For decades, this right has been valiantly and vigorously protected and advanced by HSLDA, state homeschool organizations, and many others. Heritage Defense seeks to bless and stand shoulder to shoulder with HSLDA and others engaged in efforts which complement and further the mission of advancing the Kingdom of Christ by protecting and empowering the biblical family.  Back to Top.

19.  Will Heritage Defense assist families involved in conflicts relating to divorce, custody, or public adoptions?
Generally, no—Heritage Defense typically does not assist with matters involving domestic disputes, divorce, related child custody proceedings, or public adoptions.  Back to Top.

20.  Does Heritage Defense defend child abuse?
Absolutely not. Heritage Defense reserves the right to conduct a preliminary investigation prior to initiating legal representation to determine whether actual abuse has occurred. We reserve the right to decline representation in such a case.  Back to Top.

21.  Does Heritage Defense have a lobbying agenda?
Yes, Heritage Defense is committed to monitoring each of the fifty states for legislation relating to family rights. Heritage Defense is also committed to periodically offering legislation designed to protect and empower the biblical family.  Back to Top.

Position Statements

22.  What is Heritage Defense’s position on a parent’s right to use corporal punishment?
Heritage Defense believes that parents have a right and a duty to exercise reasonable, loving, appropriate corporal punishment relating to the discipline and instruction of their children when Scripture indicates such discipline is proper.  Back to Top.